


Taehyung's Moving Castle

by tangeyoonie



Category: Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Im new to tagging, Kim Taehyung | V is a Sweetheart, Kim Taehyung | V-centric, King Kim Seokjin | Jin, Magic, Protective Kim Taehyung | V, Wizard Jeon Jungkook, Wizard Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Wizard Kim Taehyung | V, Wizards, hoseok is suliman, jimin is calcifer, jin is the king, jungkook is markl, namjoon is turnip head, reader is sophie, sorry - Freeform, tae is howl, yoongi is the witch of the waste
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25964431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tangeyoonie/pseuds/tangeyoonie
Summary: You've lived your whole life right next door to your family's Hat Shop, and you wished for nothing more than to live the most ordinary of lives. Yet when you suddenly get saved by a dangerous and terrifying(ly handsome) wizard, you know your life will never be ordinary again.Aka...You're Sophie and Taehyung is Howl.
Relationships: Kim Taehyung | V/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 41





	1. meeting howl

It was a Friday afternoon, and all the girls in Hatter's Hat Shop were bustling around. The sound of laughter and high-pitched squeals filled the small room where you sat, despite being removed from all the commotion and a closed-door standing between.

You thread the needle in between your fingertips through the sturdy navy felt fabric you were using to construct your latest masterpiece. Ever since your father had passed away, you worked day and night to keep your family's business, a small hat shop, afloat.

Your fingers had grown callused from years of sewing, and despite not being far from your youth, a wrinkle had begun to form in between your eyebrows from the constant look of concentration on your face.

A knock on the door pulled you from your gaze. You glanced up to see your beautiful mother opening the door. You, unfortunately, looked nothing like her. While she was tall, slender yet voluptuous and a blonde with plump limps. You had taken after your father with a much different frame. Sometimes you dreamed of being more like your mother and sister, but as you had grown older you realized there was more to life than being beautiful and having the attention of adorning men.

"The shop has closed dear, let's turn in and go into town!" Your mother chirped happily, a big smile resting on her lipstick-stained lips.

"Thank you mother, but I should finish this," you smile, gesturing to the hat in your hand.

"Suit yourself," your mother said with a shrug of her delicate shoulders. She turned to go back to all the commotion, leaving your door open.

As you turned back to the hat in your hands, you could hear a girl shout. "Look! It's Howl's Moving Castle!"

You glanced up again, staring out the window in front of you. You were able to catch just a glimpse of the giant metal contraption crossing over a hill in the distance.

Howl was a wizard who was known as a wanderer and heart-stealer. The girls in town were warned of his charm and magic abilities from a very young age. Few people ever saw him in your town, but it was rumored that he was more handsome than King Seokjin himself.

"Did you hear what happened to the girl from the next town over?" You heard one of the girl's gossip, almost too much glee in her voice for such a grim topic.

"Yes! He stole her heart, right? I heard that no one has heard from her since!" Another exclaimed. 

In your world, magic and the supernatural wasn't unfamiliar, however, there was still some hesitance among normal folks in regards to it. It was one of those things that was better unmentioned and left to the sorcerers themselves.

A big sigh escaped your lips as you heard the girls of the shop grab their coats and head out for the day. The peace and quiet were all you needed sometimes. You continued your work, sewing on the last few decorative beads as a train passed. Typically that was your signal of when to stop working, as it meant all the men who had gone to the fields were already home from their long day.

Standing up to quickly tidy your station, another sigh passed through you. That was a common habit of yours lately. You worked so hard and diligently, it sometimes seemed like life was passing you by.

You grabbed your plain-woven hat with a pink ribbon and placed it on top of your head, your fingers sliding the way down your braid in an attempt to smooth it and make it look more presentable. Grabbing your bag on the way out, you headed out into town.

The end of the train was just about to pass by and you reached out and jumped on the caboose. Walking in the streets beside the train, people went about their daily lives. Above you, decorative warplanes flew tugging along banners and the flags of your country. In the town center that the train was heading towards, people were parading around, cheering and holding flags.

War was an interesting time. One full of sadness and despair, yet celebration. You never understood it, and you hated it.

Hopping off the train before it made its way into the station, you turned down an alley to not get caught. Your family had struggled following the death of your father, and money on short train rides wasn't money worth wasting it.

You felt fortunate sometimes that you were so plain. If you had been more like your mother or sister, beautiful and flirtatious, you wondered who would have taken care of the three of you? You took after your father in more ways than just looks, but after his passing, you stepped up to fill his role as best as you could so that your mother and younger sister, Lettie, could still enjoy the life they lived.

As you walked down the alley passing a few homeless men sitting against the brick buildings, you clutched between your hands a piece of paper. Your mother had asked you to grab a few things from a friend before returning home. She had left an address scribbled down on a note for you, and you were then tasked with figuring out where that was.

You reread the note for what felt like the millionth time when you suddenly collided with something large.

"Hey, looks like a little mouse lost its way" a uniformed guard sneered down at you. He seemed easily double your size, and you felt so small in that instance. He had dark blonde hair under a blue uniform hat, and a rifle strapped onto his back.

"Oh no, I'm not lost," you disagreed, politely.

"This little mouse looks thirsty, maybe we should take her out for a cup of tea," the same guard said to another you noticed standing behind him. This guard was just as big as the first one. His hair was as dark as night and he had a large mustache. He also had a rifle on him.

"My sister is expecting me" you lied, the panic evident in your voice.

"Well, isn't she cute," the dark-haired guard smiled, leaning towards you.

As if spurred on by his buddy's words of endearment, the blonde-guard took a big step towards you. He put his hand up against the wall, trapping you from passing by.

"How old are you anyway?" the blonde guard sneered again, his eyes outlining the curve of your breasts. You were suddenly thankful that your wardrobe consisted of older clothes with higher necklines and collars, but you feared in this moment it wouldn't make any difference.

These two men were much larger than you, and they were the King's men, in light blue and gold uniforms. You didn't stand a chance, even if you tried to fight back.

"Leave me alone," you quickly said, deciding that it was always worth it to at least try and fight than to submit. You took a step back, faltering a bit as your heeled boot caused you to teeter on the cobblestone.

"See, I told you your mustache scares off all the girls," the blonde guard suddenly laughed to his friend, giving the black-hair one a bit a friendly push.

"That's alright, I like this little mouse even more when she's scared," the mustached guard grinned, reaching out to you.

Suddenly, as you took another step backward, you collided with another figure. A deep voice spoke out from behind you, and a gentle hand rested on your shoulder.

"There you are sweetheart," the deep, baritone voice cooed soothingly. "I have been looking for you everywhere," the man said.

"Hey," one of the guards growled. "We're busy here. Move along, pal."

"Really," that same calm voice said. "It seemed to me like you were just leaving," your savior said. His hand on your shoulder had turned into his arm wrapping around you. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him twirl his ring-clad finger and point it straight up into the sky.

The guards suddenly stiffened, fell into line and marched away from you, shouting expletives the entire time.

You felt safe in the strange man's arms. He had just saved you, how could you not feel more at ease? Even with the obvious displace of magic you had just witnessed, for the first time ever, you were no longer afraid.

Turning your head to look at your knight in shining armor, you were suddenly taken aback by the man's beautiful appearance. He was wearing a boisterous white button-up undershirt that had big, extravagant sleeves, and a gold, embroidery vest on top. Resting on his shoulders was a big red and grey coat, and you noticed he was also wearing lots of jewelry. Not only was he wearing multiple rings on his large yet slender fingers, but he had gorgeous green pearl drop earrings and a matching necklace. As your eyes wandered farther up, you took in his blonde hair, and dark brown and almost gem-like eyes. He was stunning. He wore makeup, which shocked you, as it wasn't typical for men to do so. He somehow looked even more stunning, having the confidence to pull off such clothing and feminine features that should be considered taboo. He was incredibly handsome, in his physical features as well as his clothing choices.

He smiled down at you, and you noticed that it was something imperfect about him. His lips turned boxy as he grinned, yet despite it being a so-called flaw, it drew you in even more.

You weren't sure how much time had past as you took in his appearance, but he finally smiled down at you and spoke.

"Don't mind them, they're actually not all bad," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. His arm was still wrapped around your shoulders, resting lightly almost as if he wasn't there.

"Where to? I'll be your escort this evening. I wouldn't want you getting into any more trouble like that," he smiled again, and with a nod of his head, you realized he understood exactly what was about to happen to you if those men hadn't been magically steered away.

"Oh, I'm just headed to see my sister, she works at the bakery," you said shyly, your cheeks turning pink with heat and embarrassment, though you weren't sure why.

He smiled down at you again, and just like that, his arm fell from your shoulders and instead rested at a 90-degree angle at his side, capturing your hand so that it rest in the crook of his elbow. Even under the extravagant white sleeves, you could feel the muscles in his arm flexing.

"Don't be alarmed, but I'm being followed. Let's go!" He said, his voice deep yet cheery as he pulled you along. 


	2. flying

"Act normal," the man told you.

As you walked down the alley with this strange, yet comforting blonde man, you couldn't help the uneasy feeling hanging in the air. The small peach fuzz hairs on the back of your neck raised with anticipation and anxiety.

 _He was being followed?_ You thought to yourself, still clutching on to his elbow as he tugged you along.

He quickly guided the two of you down the alley, taking as many sharp turns as he could in an attempt to confuse whoever was following him. You were curious as to who could be chasing you now, and if being saved by this man had even been worth it. Perhaps your fate with he two guards would have been better?

A small gasp escaped your lips as you tumbled over the uneven cobblestone path, but before you could even begin to fall, he had lifted you up with a hand and kept on with his brisk pace, unphased.

"Sorry," he suddenly whispered, his mouth by your ear. It sent a shiver down your spine, being able to feel his warm breath and to hear his deep voice so close. "It looks like you're involved," he muttered the smallest bit of a smirk creeping on his lips.

Your mouth opened in shock at the sight before you, and your hand gripped onto his bicep even tighter than it already had been. In the alley before you, black blobbish creatures were seeping out of buildings and windows and headed your way. You heard a grumble behind you, and you didn't even need to turn your head to realize you were about to be cornered from behind as well by these monsters. They barreled their way down the alley, their liquid bodies growing limbs.

"This way," the blonde man suddenly announced, turning so suddenly to an alley that you hadn't even realized was there.

However, it was no use. Headed straight towards you were even more blob monsters. You dared to question how many of them could possibly exist.

An "oh no," escaped past your lips, and you closed your eyes tightly, expecting the worse. You silently prayed these creatures would be so kind as to make your death painless.

Yet suddenly, right before your inevitable doom, a strong arm tightened around your waist and the windswept you from your feet.

Literally.

You didn't dare open your eyes, but you could hear the grumbles and screams of the blob creatures below you. A breeze gushed up your face and the hem of your dress blew up just a bit.

Everything was surprisingly peaceful for a moment, and it was just enough for you to except that you had probably died thanks to this mysterious man, whom you guess could no longer be considered your savior.

Opening your eyes, expecting to see blinding white lights and the gates to the afterlife, you were shocked to see that you were floating above the city.

"Oh, my g-" you almost screamed, but the arm around your waist pulled you closer to him.

"Hold on," the blonde man said, his hair falling back down around his face as you reached your maximum height in the air.

"Now straighten your legs, and start walking!" He instructed, doing as he said and pulling you along as if you were walking on air.

Well... you were.

You stretched out your foot and took a step forward, expecting to begin plummeting to your death, yet you surprisingly felt something solid beneath you.

The arm around your waist had moved, and instead, he held both of your hands in his, lifting them up in the air as you both began to float and bounce from step to step.

So many emotions were flooding your system as you floated above the rooftops. You couldn't catch your breath, small gasps and noises coming from you. It suddenly wasn't scary anymore, and a soft laugh escaped your lips. He chuckled with you, or perhaps at you.

"Wow," you breathed, taking in the view of the bustling streets below you. You felt light and airy like you suddenly didn't have a care in the world. If you focused hard enough, you could make out phrases and words from the many conversations below. The breeze between your bodies felt inviting and warm. It was a magical moment.

"You're a natural," he cooed at you, and a grin spread across your face at the praise.

The moment was short-lived as you felt your bodies began to descend. It wasn't frightening thankfully, but more like you were standing on a cloud that was bringing you back to the real world.

Your feet made contact with a wooden balcony softly, and you were secretly disappointed your adventure seemed to be over. Facing the blonde man now, you were able to take in even more of his appearance. He stood on the railing, his hand holding yours still. His coat magically had stayed on his shoulders the entire time, and his hair didn't look the slightest bit messed up despite just literally flying.

"Thank you" you finally gasped out, not wanting to let go of his hand.

"You're welcome. Wait here for a moment before you continue downstairs. I'll draw them off," he told you.

"Okay," you whispered, not wanting to speak any louder and pull yourself from the dream you were currently living in.

"That's my girl," he grinned, suddenly releasing your hand and jumping back. He floated down to the ground and almost instantly vanished.

Your eyes scanned the crowd desperately looking for him as you ran forward to the railing, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

You had never even gotten his name. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how are you guys liking this? please feel free to leave any comments with feedback! :) Sorry this chapter is so much shorter it just felt right to cut it off there!


	3. stolen hearts

A small smile was plastered to your face as you carefully walking down the steps of the steep staircase leading to the cafe your sister worked at. You held onto the railing tightly, almost afraid that you'd be swept, literally, off your feet again. 

_Had that even been real?_ You couldn't help but ask yourself. 

Before you knew it, your sister was running towards you, her cheeks flushed.

"Oh my gosh! Is it true? Someone told me you were flying and just landed on our deck" she gushed. As she kept asking you question after question, her hands checked you over for any bumps or bruises. She stepped back with a smile when she realized you seemed unharmed, but still held her hands tightly to your upper arms. 

"Bettie, you can use my office to chat," one of the most... insistent male customers beckoned. 

"We're quite alright! I'm still working," Bettie chirped back, a big, fake, smile on her face as she batted her eyelashes at the older gentleman. 

Bettie pushed you back away from the ears of waiting customers and kept berating you with questions. 

"He was a wizard wasn't he?" She finally managed to ask. 

You glanced up at her expectant gaze and slowly nodded, the fact just now hitting you as well. That mysterious man must have been a wizard. Perhaps one just passing through town? You had heard rumors of wizards being called by King Seokjin to aid in the war efforts. 

The man had treated you so gently and with so much compassion that it was hard to imagine him in a uniform and having to potentially hurt people. Your eyebrows furrowed at the thought and you quickly shook the image from your head. 

"He saved me," you whispered to your sister. 

Bettie laughed quietly, wrapping you up in her slender arms. "He's stolen your heart hasn't he?" She giggled, her hands smoothing some of your wind-swept flyaways. 

You couldn't help the heat that rushed to your cheeks and ears as you rapidly shook your head. 

"You ought to be careful you know," Bettie said matter-of-factly. "If that wizard had been Howl, he would have _eaten_ your heart," she said with so much conviction, but you had a feeling that was still nothing but a rumor. 

"It wasn't Howl," you scoffed. It would do you only harm to believe that a man as handsome and whimsical as your savior would be one to ever show any interest in someone as average as you. "Howl only goes after pretty girls, the whole town knows that," you insisted. 

It almost hurt your feelings about how Bettie didn't even try to argue with you. There was no sort "No! You are beautiful!" or any push-back against your self-deprecating comment. 

You told yourself it didn't matter. Not every girl had to be pretty. You were happy with how you were. You were kind and hard-working. You had long hair that was actually a pretty brown color. You were very skilled at making hats. 

There were plenty of things to love about yourself. That's what you kept telling yourself at least. 

_Maybe being considered pretty wouldn't be too bad of a thing...._

"Bettie, back to work!" her manager called.

She gave you a big grin and pulled you in for one last hug. "Please, be careful out there. I'll come to visit the hat shop soon, speaking of which, are you really going to work there for the rest of your life?" She asked quickly. 

You knew where this was going. Bettie always tried to insist that you should be doing something more with your life. Trying to find love. Settling down, getting married, and having kids.

You genuinely just wanted to keep your father's Hat Shop alive.

It may not have always been a passion of yours, but recently the shop meant a lot to you. It was that last connection you had to your father, and you were easily the most skilled hatter within the closest towns. The business was good. 

"I have to go," Bettie interrupted your thoughts. "Promise me that you will decide who you really want to be!" 

You couldn't help but give your bubbly little sister a smile before pushing her back towards the counter. You shook your head fondly as she got back to work, shooting you a smirk and a glance from the corner of her eye as a handsome young man decided at the moment to come up to the register. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry for the delay on this chapter, and sorry it's short! I'm hoping to post again later tonight or tomorrow. :) My final year of college started and it got really hectic really fast, but I've luckily fallen into more of a routine now and I really want to upload more often! I've been reading so much fanfiction lately that I have so many ideas that I want to write, but I told myself to not be working on multiple stories at once. As always, let me know what you think so far! I'm going to go back and probably edit the past three chapters soon too, so look out for that. :) Thanks for reading!!!


	4. unhappy customers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were naive to think that that had been your only encounter with magic.... Little did you know what was coming!

A few days had gone by, and your fleeting moment of bliss with the mysterious blonde man was nothing more than a memory now. Sometimes you wondered if it had happened at all since it truly felt like a dream. 

Had you really floated above the buildings? Had you really been saved by the most handsome man you'd ever seen? Had he really called you those sweet names? 

There was simply no way. 

At least, that's what you kept telling yourself as you made even more of an effort than usual to busy yourself at the hat shop. Hatter's was getting even more business than usual. Probably the pre-war spike in morale and income that your father had explained to you. He wanted to make sure you had a good understanding of the business aspect of selling hats and not just the craft of making hats.

That's why when you were standing behind the counter, finishing up for the day, you didn't put up too much of a fight when one last customer came through the doors. 

He was decently tall, most people were compared to you, and he was probably the slimmest man you'd ever seen, yet not in a bad way. He walked with such poise and grace, his chin lifted up in the air. On his wine-pink hair that fell into his eyes, sat a large furry hat that left a shadow across his face. He was captivating, and you couldn't help but wonder if you were looking into the eyes of a human or of something (someone? you weren't sure) feline. He was dressed in a long black gown to match his hat. 

He had such an aura about him that it almost became hard to breathe. He just demanded all the attention in the room. It was like you were under a spell, being forced to notice him and only him. 

"Ah, sir," You called. "The shop is closing, how can I help you really quick?" 

The man scoffed at you, picking up a hat off of a mannequin head and looking at it with a deep scowl on his face. You couldn't help but notice that he looked so youthful and stunning, you weren't positive how old he even was. 

"Oh, how miserable this shop looks," his deep voice barked at you, scrunching his nose up with distaste as he tossed the hat haphazardly to the side.   
  
You scowled back at him, your hands resting on your hips as you saw one of your newest hats not sitting on the floor. 

"I'm going to have to ask you to come back tomorrow," you said with a curt nod of your head towards the door, hoping he'd get the hint and get out of your establishment. It had already been a long day, and suddenly this ethereal man comes in to bash you? 

_No thanks,_ you thought.

"You sell such cheap hats," the man laughed, walking closer to you. You were finally able to get a good look at his face and you were right. His eyes glowed amber almost as if they were reflecting the light. "Fitting, cheap hats for a poor girl," he grinned down at you, his arms folding delicately across his chest. 

If he wasn't being so horrible, you'd consider him beautiful, however, his attitude was making him look more and more like a toad in your eyes. 

"There's just nothing but the ordinary here," he sighed, a hand coming up to brush against his brow in despair. 

"The shop is closed, sir, if you could please be leaving," you repeated, silently praying this would be the last time you had to speak up against him. He was towering over you at this point, and you feared he'd win in any kind of fight he started. 

"The nerve you have," the wine-haired man spat down at you, hands dropping to his side. "Do you even know who I am?" The question was practically a growl. 

Everything happened so fast. One moment everything was normal, if not hostile, and the next you'd realized you're life had changed forever. 

"I'm the Witch of the Waste," the man said, his shoulders almost shimmying as he stood even taller. He oozed confidence, it was almost sickening. 

The name sounded familiar, but you would be lying if you said you knew who he was. You'd always assumed the so-called "Witch of the Waste" to be a woman, but who were you to judge. Nowadays, with wizards and sorcerers running amongst men, people could be whoever, or whatever, they wanted. 

Apparently, the Witch of the Waste noticed your expression of confusion at the announcement of his name, and that seemed to be the snapping point for him. He lashed out, waving his hand in the air and muttering some words you didn't dare try to understand at the moment. 

You felt hot all over like you'd suddenly gotten sick with the worst fever of your life. Flames had to have been licking at your skin, yet as your eyes darted around the room, you noticed a lack of fire that could be causing this pain. 

"W-what did you do to me?" You almost screamed, the agony clear in your voice. It sounded so far away now, but you could hear the Witch of the Waste laughing. It was so evil, yet filled with so much joy. He... he was enjoying watching you in such pain. 

You collapsed to your knees and you felt the bones beneath your skin start to shift. He must have cast a spell on you, and you could do nothing but fear what the outcome could be. 

As quickly as the agonizing transformation had started, it ended. You lay on the ground in a fetal position, your brow slick with sweat. Your vision had blurred a bit, and it suddenly took a lot more effort to breathe. 

"That, my dear, was for stealing my Howl's attention, and for the absolute disrespect you just showed me," the Witch of the Waste grinned down at you, his pale and veiny hands resting on his hips. 

Suddenly, with a swish of his gown, the Witch of the Waste was turning around and heading towards the door. You sluggishly reached out a hand to stop him but gasped at what came into your line of vision. 

Surely... that wrinkled handle of an elderly woman... wasn't your hand?

You waved it out in front of you, your jaw falling slack allowing your mouth to gape open. You pushed yourself up into a sitting position, groaning at the aches and pains you felt all over your body. You moved your hands from in front of you to gentle caress your own face, and the gasp that escaped couldn't be helped. Underneath your wrinkly fingertips, you felt wrinkled and drooping skin. 

"What did you do?" You yelled after the retreating figured, unable to stop the trembling. "Witch! I was talking to you," your voice was filled with desperation. 

"I had to make sure you were no longer a distraction to my dear Howl," he cooed. "Also, dear, please call me Yoongi," the man said with a smile so sickly-sweet before turning and slamming the front door of the shop behind him as he exited. You could still hear his laugh as if it was echoing inside your brain. 

You reached up and gripped onto the side of the counter as you shakily pulled yourself up onto your feet. As quickly as you could with your new hunched back and thin legs, you headed to the closet mirror that was meant for customers to check their appearance as they tried on hats. 

You gasped at your appearance. Looking back at you was an elderly woman who looked to be almost 80 years old. There was no way that this was you? 

"Is this me?" You asked out loud and it was the first time you noticed that even your voice sounded different. It sounded weak and... old. Everything about you was suddenly so old. So worn and ancient. 

You had never feared growing old. You didn't bother with all the fancy skin creams like your mother and sister. Growing old was just a part of the natural cycle of life, and you thought it naive to think you could escape that century-old pattern. 

Turning into an elderly woman when you're supposed to be in the youthful prime of your adulthood was entirely a different story. 

"Oh my god!" You gasped, fingers still trembling. You feared they wouldn't ever stop, and that it was a side of effect of the spell... no curse, that Yoongi had put on you. 

"What a jealous-!" You cut yourself off before you could even begin to yell expletives. 

"Okay, stay calm," you soothed yourself, hands running down the front of your dress that suddenly seemed much more fitting like an old lady than it had been on the real you. You weren't quite sure what you were going to do, but you knew you needed to get home before your mother and sister. You'd figure out a plan along the way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit longer! Told you I would update again soon! :) I'm not going to give myself like strict posting schedule, but expect another update before the weekend ends! As always feel free to leave any feedback! Who misses Howl/Tae?! I know I do.


	5. the beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You decide that there is only one solution to your current situation... finding Howl.

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of birds happily chirping outside your window, as if they didn’t have a care in the world. You envied them as you looked at your wrinkly hands, and were instantly reminded of the events of last night. 

“That Witch,” you grumbled to yourself, rubbing your eyes as you sat up. Every bone in your body ached. It felt as if you had never moved a single limb in your life. 

You stared out the window by your bed for what felt like forever. Everyone on the streets was going about their day. You sighed in jealousy. You knew that your life would likely never be normal again and that you were probably forever stuck as an old woman. 

“Perhaps…. Howl would know how to fix me,” you said to yourself, but quickly shook your head. There had to be another way. 

Perhaps it wasn’t the end of the world, being old. You felt peaceful, in all honesty. The thought that now you wouldn’t be bothered as much filled your mind, and it brought a sense of comfort. Your mother and sister would no longer pest you about getting married. You imagined customers would be much kinder to an old lady than they would a young woman. 

A knock on your door, and your mother’s voice calling “Sophie, dear!” pulled you from your thoughts. You wrapped the blanket up over your head as quickly as your aching limbs would let you. 

“I’m terribly sick,” you croaked out. At least your elderly voice made it sound believable. “I don’t want you to get sick as well, don’t come in!” 

“Oh goodness!” Your mother said. “You sound like a 90-year old lady! Feel better dear!” 

You could hear her footsteps retreating and you sighed in relief. 

“Well, you can’t stay here now can you?” You asked yourself out loud. 

After brushing your hair, washing your face, and changing into a bright blue dress, you decided you really had no choice but to seek help from a wizard. As much as being old had its appeal, you knew that you had to try to go back to normal. You had so much of a life left to live. You didn’t want to spend all of it feeling aches and pains and looking so ancient. Perhaps, even though you denied it as much as you could, you did want to fall in love someday. You couldn’t do that looking like you’re 90, now could you?

You tied a brown cloth over your silver hair and snuck downstairs. After stealing a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese from the kitchen, you tiptoe out the back door. 

You didn’t have a plan, but that was okay. 

This was just the beginning.

You made your way through town, politely disregarding the kind individuals who ask if you need help. At first, it took you by surprise, as nobody ever stopped you or talked to you usually, but you realized, that you weren't really you anymore, but an old lady. 

It was nice to be treated with such kindness. 

You finally manage to find a farmer who is headed towards the outskirts of town. His buggy was stacked high with hay for his animals, and when you asked for a ride, he obliged. Sitting on the back of the cart, you watched the town slowly shrink, and you couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the idea that nothing was ever going to be the same again. 

What if Howl refused to help you? Hadn't the Yoongi, the Witch of the Waste, mentioned something about him? What if you had caused problems... perhaps they were dating?

You blushed at the thought of Howl being involved with Yoongi and quickly shook your head. Howl was known for stealing hearts, even if they had dated, Yoongi surely couldn't have survived. He was a dangerous wizard, at least that is what everyone said. From your own personal experiences, Yoongi seemed much more dangerous than Howl. 

Soon the farmer reached his destination, and you hopped off the cart, headed up the mountain. 

"You're crazy, lady!" He yelled after you. "There's nothing but witches and wizards out there!" 

"Good, I hope to meet some!" You said, almost laughing at what your life had become. Who would have thought you'd ever be seeking out a wizard. 

You trekked for what felt like hours, but when you turned around to look at your progress, you realized the town didn't even look that far away. 

You sighed, sitting down and putting your head in your hands. "I've barely moved at all," you groaned. "It wouldn't be so difficult if my bones didn't ache."

You looked around as a cold chill blew past. You had to keep going, otherwise, you'd be stuck on the mountain with no shelter all throughout the night. You braced yourself on your knees as you stood back up, groaning. 

As you continued up the mountain slowly, you noticed a branch sticking out of a bush. "Perfect!" You cheered. A walking stick would help immensely on this journey. 

You waddled over to the bush and began to tug on the branch. It was really stuck. You tugged, and pushed your weight onto it, and pulled as hard as you could. 

"Well, you're really stuck, aren't you," You grumbled. 

Finally, after even more pulling, you managed to get the branch free, not without falling onto your butt from the exertion. 

You glanced at the branch, and let out a yelp. On the end of the branch that had been stuck in the bush was a large black coat and slacks, a tophat, and... a turnip with a smiling face drawn onto it.

"Oh! A scarecrow," you breathed a sigh of relief, your wrinkled hand coming up to clutch your heart through your chest. 

"You scared me!" You pointed your finger at the object, frowning. "Either way, I'm glad I could help you at least." 

You turned over onto your knees and pushed yourself up off the dirt. "Oh goodness, look at me," you sighed, wiping the blue fabric of your dress as much as you could in hopes to clean it. 

"Well, Turnip Head," you called to the scarecrow. "It was nice meeting you," you called, turning and heading back up the mountain with a second wind of energy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just edited this chapter, so if you read it when it first came out please read it again! I added a bit to the ending because it was really short. I'm really unsatisfied with this work tbh, I feel like I could be writing a lot better... :(( Hopefully, the next chapter will be a bit better. Idk. I'm determined to finish this at least, even if I'm not completely happy with it. I really don't like writing in this perspective of the reader and I think that it's becoming even more difficult for me! It's a good challenge though.


	6. the castle

As you climbed back up the mountain, bones aching from the chill, the thought of that vegetable-headed scarecrow couldn’t leave your mind. It had just seemed so peculiar that it had been stuck up here, no fields insight for it to be protecting. 

You figured it must have fallen off of a traveler’s cart perhaps and brushed the object off your mind with the shake of your head. As you continued your hike, finally nearing the tip of the hill, you noticed an odd sound, like a stick hitting a rock repeatedly. 

Fear lingered on your mind throughout this entire journey. You really had gotten yourself into more trouble than you could handle, but there was no going back now. This noise seemed threatening…. Or perhaps it was your old age now making you exceptionally frightened and paranoid. 

You finally mustered up the courage to look over your shoulder and gasped at the sight in front of you. 

Turnip Head was about 20 feet behind you, hopping up the mountain on his stick. The empty black pantsuit legs and coat jacket arms blew haphazardly in the wind, so much so that you wondered how his top hat was staying on so nicely. 

You stopped, finally deciding that perhaps you had lost your wits, and this was the end. You sat down with a groan and watched the scarecrow catch up to you, your eyes following its hops. 

“Seems like somebody’s put a nasty curse on you as well, my friend,” you said to the magical object. 

As if in agreeance, Turnip Head jumped up in the air and spun, the coat arms flapping loudly. It made you chuckle. This scarecrow didn’t seem so scary anymore, and you were glad to see the familiar face rather than a new witch or wizard who wanted to cause more trouble. 

“You don’t need to follow me, truly, Turnip Head, I’m alright,” you waved a hand in front of your face. 

The scarecrow hopped circles around you. 

“I promise! I don’t need you to repay me. I’m glad I could have helped you,” you insisted. 

Turnip Head hopped away for a second, and it was like he was actually looking down at you. The wind blew harshly, and the arms of the jacket crossed in front of him. It had to have been on purpose. 

“Such attitude,” you laughed under your breath. “Alright fine,” you finally gave in, “If you want to be of assistance to me, please, find me somewhere I can stay tonight, I’ll follow along behind you.”

The scarecrow’s hops became more frequent, and it seemed like he was pleased with this new deal between you two. He hopped up to you and dropped a gold cane at your feet. 

“Oh! Thank you,” you gasped, grabbing it quickly to inspect it. Your eyes widened with joy. The cane was painted in gold, and it had a bird-head as a handle. Little black gems acted as its eyes. It was a stunning piece. 

_ How did this scarecrow end up with this nice cane? _ You wondered. 

You used the cane to brace yourself and stand up, and something caught your eye. Right where the handle met the stick, was a name carved. 

“Namjoon,” you read out loud. 

Turnip Head stopped bouncing and turned to look at you. It was like he was trying to speak with you, but he was unable to talk. You stared right back at the scarecrow. 

Namjoon was a familiar name, but you weren’t sure where you had heard it before. 

“Are you Namjoon?” You asked, and the scarecrow began to bounce excitedly. 

“I’ll take that as a yes! Thank you Namjoon. I will be sure to return this to you. It's very beautiful,” you smiled. 

The scarecrow began bouncing up the mountain quickly, obviously satisfied with your answer and that someone finally knew his name.

As you followed behind him, one wrinkled hand clutched your shawl tightly against your chest, while the other grasped onto the bird-head shaped handle of the cane your lovely new friend had bestowed to you.

Your journey continued, and at some point, you had lost sight of your new friend, Namjoon. 

You kept walking, the cane helping immensely, and as you neared the top of the hill, you heard what sounded like a machine working in the distance. Perhaps he had found somewhere for you! 

You quickened your pace, keeping your eyes on the ground so that you could keep a careful eye on the uneven terrain. The last thing you wanted was to fall and break a hip. 

A few moments later, the machinery sound grew even louder. When you finally looked up off the ground, you gasped. 

“Turnip Head!” You shrieked, watching the cursed scarecrow bounce towards you with none other than Howl’s Moving Castle following behind. 

“I said to find shelter! Not… Howl!” 

The scarecrow bounced up to you, standing behind you and he gave you a nudge toward the walking metal contraption. 

Howl’s Castle was actually very magnificent. The only word to describe it was… magical. Different metal pieces stuck out in every angle imaginable. You could see where different rooms obviously jutted out from the mainframe of the machine. It was grey, brown, black, and red, and in all honesty, it was a mess. Ladders stuck out randomly. Windows and doors were placed on the most bizarre parts of the moving building. 

You imagined there must be a crew inside manning it. It walked on four slender metal legs that had clawed feet, almost like a bird. The legs moved as if they were all being individually controlled too, almost as if they weren’t really working together, but headed in the same direction at least. 

Now that you were finally here, so close to seeing the man who saved you just a few days ago, you suddenly wished you had never left the comfort of your bedroom. Howl was known for doing incredibly horrible things to people. Maybe they were just rumors, but still, you couldn’t help but be scared. Just because he had been nice to you that one time, doesn’t mean he would still be nice to you now. 

Namjoon gave you another nudge, and you realized the Castle was walking right over the two of you now. 

You weren’t quite sure what came over you so suddenly, but the image in front of you of the retreating door, made you break out into a sprint. Or at least as fast of a hobbled walk as you could. 

You hooked the end of Namjoon’s cane, that he so graciously let you borrow, around one of the vertical iron bars of the staircase’s handrail. Holding on tight, you let physics do its thing and pull you towards the castle as it continued on its journey towards the next hill. 

Thankfully, you were able to hop onto the staircase, and a breath of relief escaped past your chapped lips. You turned and looked over your shoulder at Turnip Head, and a sudden gust of wind blew the shawl over your shoulders onto the ground. 

“Oh no!” You whined, looking up at Turnip Head who was still hurriedly bouncing along with the castle.

Without hesitation, the scarecrow turned and hopped towards the now dirty piece of fabric, retrieving it for you. 

He was kind and had gone out of his way countless times to make sure you were all right. You made a promise to yourself that as soon as you fixed your own curse, you would help Turnip Head fix his own. Surely, living as a scarecrow must not be very pleasant. 

Namjoon quickly caught up to you and handed your shawl over. 

“Thank you! Quick, Turnip Head, get on!” You reached out to grab the empty arm of the coat jacket that was buttoned around his frame. 

Turnip Head shook his head and stopped bouncing after the castle. In the wind, it was like he was waving at you. 

“Suit yourself!” You called, realizing your new friend would not be joining you on the rest of your journey. 

You turned back towards the metal door and pulled on the handle. It was pushed open by the wind, almost knocking you back. 

Once you got your footing, you quickly got inside and out of the cold. 

Looking around, all you could see was clutter. Stuff, you weren’t really even sure what most things were, was thrown all over the room. There was a big table in the center of the room that was full of trinkets, candles, and books. There were 8 chairs surrounding the table, but they looked like they hadn’t been moved in a while, except for two -- the head of the table, and a seat next to it on the side both looked like they hadn’t been fully pushed in. 

In a corner, there was a sink, surrounded by pretty, Mediterranean-style tiles. The sink was crowded with dishes that were stacked on top of each other. Some looked clean, and some very obviously had the remnants of food stuck on them. 

The floor was a very pretty dark hardwood, and there were a few very dusty-looking rugs sitting crookedly on the floor. In one corner was a rocking chair, that was actively rocking, and you quickly told yourself it was just the wind. 

There was a large ash-filled fireplace, with a pile of wood not too far away. Cast iron tools hung on a rack nearby, and you chuckled at the view of them even being there. It was obvious the fireplace hadn’t been cleaned in probably a few years. There was about a 6-inches thick layer of ash underneath the small fire that was nearly burning out. 

“Who are you? You’re not Howl!” a voice suddenly called, jarring you from your curious look around. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!!! Howl's returning next chapter!!


	7. Not an Update

Hiya, I promise I'm not abandoning this fic, but I have been feeling really guilty for neglecting it. I really wanted to finish it before November so I could focus on NaNoWriMo, but I obviously didn't do that. I also haven't started my NaNoWriMo work either. I'm very stressed, and feeling overwhelmed, so I wanted to post something to let you guys know I probably won't be updating this until December when my finals are over. I'm in my final year of university and it's killing me. This fic has been constantly on my mind and adding to all the things I beat myself up over LOL so I wanted to address it so I stop doing that!! I hope you all understand!! I will probably work on it occasionally over the next month because sometimes random writing sessions just need to happen LOL That way hopefully when I am able to focus more time and energy on writing I can post frequently! I've also started writing a long SOPE fraternity AU that I'm excited to post eventually too. So again, I promise I'm not abandoning this, but i just wanted to let the few of you who've kept up with this know whats going on!!!

I created a tumblr, it's really bare, but if you want to be friends (and possibly someone I can brainstorm ideas with??) message me! It's illumin-yoongi.

I'll delete this chapter when I get back to posting! :))


	8. update

Hi im so sorry but im abandoning this work!!! i just wanted to let yall know and not leave you hanging for a new chapter. :( Sorry sorry, it's the worst when writers do this and I feel so bad, but I have some new WIPs that I think will be much better. 

i might try and rewrite this fic but with either jungkook or taehyung as howl and one of the others being sophie's character, and it would be just based on the movie, rather than a retelling of the movie 🥺 No promises but I think it'd be fun.

im gonna delete this fic in a day or two!! 

feel free to follow me on twitter!!!! it's @tangeyoonie :]


End file.
